Lid-supporting means for cabinets or boxes



Dec. 24, 1929c J. A. STONE LID SUPPORTING MEANS FOR CABINETS OR BOXES Filed April 4, 1929 FIGJ.

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1 NVEN TOR 170s eplz, ZLSZone 19 TTOR/VEYS Patented Dec. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH ALFRED STONE, OI WALSALL, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB TO PIANOFOB'I'E SUPPLIES LIMITED, 01 SIMPLEX WORKS, ENGLAND LID-SUPPORTING MEANS FOR CABINETS OR BOXES Application iuea April 4, 1928, 8er1a1li'o. 352,475, and in Great Britain January as, 1928.

This invention relates to stays for the lids of cabinets or boxes and refers more particularly to that kind of apparatus which allowsof the hinged lid of the box or cabinet I being raised by one hand to a certain position in which it will be supported by the stay, and in which if an additional upward movement is given to the lid the stay becomes automatically released and allows the 10 lid to be closed without it being necessary to touch the stay by hand.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved or simplified form of such apparatus which will be cheap to manufacture and. certain in action.

Further objects of this invention will become evident as this specification proceeds.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cabinet lid supporting device constructed according to this invention.

Figure 2 is another elevation showing the same device as is shown in Figure 1 but in this case with the lid of the cabinet open.

Figure 3 is a part sectional plan of the same.

Figure 4 shows a modified construction according to this invention.

Figure 5 is a detail in connection therewith.

Referring to the drawings 1 is a stay for the main part of channel cross section and having vertical sides 2. This stay is pivoted on a pin 3 carried by one part 4 of a hinge 5 fixed to the lid 6 of a cabinet or box 7. The axis of the bin e fixed to the lid 6 is referably at a riglit angle to the axis 0 the pivot 3.

The stay 1 is provided with a number of blocks 8, 9, 10 fixed to itor forming an integral part thereof, and these blocks are shaped so as to provide a cam path or track comprising two longitudinal parallel sided portions 11 and 12 joined together at'their ends by transverse parts 13 and 14. The lon 'tudinal paths 11 and 12 are also prefera ly parallel to the edges of the stay and the outer walls of these paths are formed by the vertical sides 2 of the stay 1. That edge of the block 10 forming one of the walls of the-transverse path 13 is of zigzag formation as shown at 15 and is provided with a substantially straight portion 16 parallel with the edges of the stay 1. That end of the block 9'which forms the other wall of the path 13 is of V or other suitable shape, as shown at 17, whilst that end of the block 9 which forms one wall of the path 14 is inclined at 18 as is i the edge 19 of the block 8, the inclinations of the edges 18 and 19 being opposite.

A pin 20 is adapted to work in the cam path or track, and it is fixed to and projects laterally from a movable locking member which in the construction illustrated takes the form of a lever or arm 21 pivotally mounted upon a pin or spindle 22 carried by a bracket 23 in turn fixed to one wall of the cabinet or box 7 by means of screws 24.

The pin 22 also pivotally carries a guide block or member 25 which slides in the channel part of the stay 1 between the block 10 and the turned up end 26, a slot 27 being provided in the base ofthe channel part of the stay 1 in which the pin 22 is adapted to work.

In order that the arm 21 will remain in whatever position it is placed by the cam paths a certain amount of friction or pressure is placed upon the arm 21 by means of a spring washer or disc 28 disposed between the lever and the guide block 25, the arm 21 being retained upon the pin 22 b means of a washer-29 and the riveted over ead of the p In the modification shown in Figures 4 and 5 the stay 1 is in the form of a plain strip of metal instead ofzbeing of channel formation, and whereas in the constructions shown in Figures 1 to 3 the cam ath or track is provided upon the upper end of the stay, in this instance the cam path is formed at the lower end of the stay.

Furthermore, the guide member 25 is of a tubular formation and the stay 1 passes therethrough. The guide member also carries a pin 30 riveted over at its outer end and provided with a head 31 at its inner end. This pin carries the arm or lever 21 which in this instance extends in a direction opposite to that which it occupied in the conwasher 28 is inserted etween the head 31 an till the inner side of the lever 21.

The cam path or track is almost identical to that shown in Figures 1 to 3, there being just one exception which is that the block 8 is provided with an additional inclined 'surface 32 adapted to guide the pin or roller 20 into the rightpat-h should it fall'below the apex of the somewhat triangular block 8.

The erations of both of the constructions herein escribed are alike and are as follows. Assuming that the lid 6 of the cabinet is nor mally closed, when it is lifted to open the stay 1 pivots upon the axis 3 and also upon the pin 22. On continuing the movement of the lid in an upward direction the pin or roller 20 engages the wall 18 of the cam path or track and passes up into the longitudinal ath 11 moves there along in a direction 130-- wards the block and then engages the zlgzag wall 15 of the transverse path 13 and finally is arrested in the corner 33 at the foot of the straight portion 16. ln this way "further upward movement of the lid 6 is prevented and it is then necessary to allow the lid to fall slightly. This falling or closing of the lid is limited by the pin or roller moving out of the corner 33 and entering the V shaped wall of the transverse path 13 and occupying a position as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings.

clined opposite to the inclination of the cam face of t e intermediate block, the opposite end of the intermediate block havin a V- shaped cam face adjacent the other in och, a movable locking member'comprising an arm lvotally mounted for oscillation, a pin proectin from the free end of the arm and engagea 1e with the inclined cam iaces for guiding the pin rearwardly when the stay is moved outwardly of the cabinet after the lid is open, the intermediate block guiding the pin until it dro s within the V-shaped notch in the interme iate block, and means on the end block adjacent the'V-shaped cam face of the intermediate block for aiding in guiding the pin towards the V-shaped cam face.

In witness whereof I afiix my signature.

JQSEPH ALFRED STONE.

When the lid is to be closed it is given a I slight upward movement so that the pin or roller 20 is ejected from the V wall 17 of the transverse path 13 and is caused to move along this path and transferred into the longltudinal path 12. This upward lifting oit'the lid is limited by the pin or roller 20 entering the corner 34. The lid is then closed or allowed to fall and during this movement the pin or roller 20 traverses the path 12 towards the block 8 until it eventually abuts against the wall 19 of the transverse path 14 of the cabinet or box whilst the guide member is described as being carried by the cabinet or box itself. This arrangement can be reversed.

In a further modification the pivotal arm 21 could be mounted directly upon the box or cabinetinstead of on the guide member-25.

What I claim then is A. lid supporting means for cabinets comprising a pivotally mounted stay and a piv-. otally mounted guide member or the stay, the stay and guide member being attached one to the cabinet and one to the lid, said stay .being provided with laterally projecting end blocks and an intermediate block, the intermediate block having an inclined cam face, 

